Thank goodness for my extensive research skills \u2014 here\u2019s what I found out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWorld Mosquito Day takes place on August 20 every year and is a commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross\u2019s discovery, in 1897, that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Ross is responsible for the annual observance, having declared shortly after his discovery that the day should be known as World Mosquito Day in the future. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine holds Mosquito Day celebrations every year, including events such as parties and exhibitions \u2014 a tradition dating back to the early 1930s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name mosquito comes from a Spanish word meaning \u201clittle fly.\u201d Basically, mosquitoes feed on plant nectar, similar to bees. Most people think that mosquitoes bite humans because they need to feed on human blood \u2014 but that\u2019s not true. Female mosquitoes suck blood in order to help with the development of their eggs prior to laying them. Male mosquitoes don\u2019t feed on blood at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even though mosquitoes do play an important role in the ecosystem because they serve as a food source for many organisms, they are dangerous because of their ability to carry and transmit diseases. In fact, some authorities argue that mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the diseases that mosquitoes are known to transmit is malaria \u2014 I don\u2019t know if I got it from a mosquito, but I caught malaria in the 1960s while working in Africa. I don\u2019t remember much about the disease, but I remember that I wasn\u2019t able to donate blood for quit a few years. I\u2019ve heard that even today, malaria kills over half a million people every year. Ross\u2019s discovery revolutionized our understanding of the disease and led to increased awareness about malaria prevention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaska is noted for their mosquitoes \u2014 a few years ago, while visiting there, a park ranger told us that there wasn\u2019t a single mosquito in the whole park\u2026.. they were all married.
So I guess I\u2019m alright with a World Mosquito Day \u2014 maybe it would be better to name it Dr. Ross Day, but that\u2019s not my call\u2026. have a nice World Mosquito Day.
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I\u2019ve heard it said that every dog has his day, but believe it or not, today is World Mosquito Day! Now, I like dogs, and if it was World Dog Day, I\u2019d be completely alright with that \u2014 but mosquitoes? … Continue reading